Between Blood and Truth
by LaceyV
Summary: When Lacey discovers her wizard parentage and enrolls as a fifth year in Hogwarts, she immediately falls in love with everything magical. But with the return of Voldemort, the place of wonder quickly becomes one of darkness. How will Lacey choose between her pureblood heritage and what she truly believes?
1. The Letter

**Chapter 1- The Letter**

Anne dragged her travel bag into her room and dropped it by the bed. Seeing the window open, she groaned. No wonder it was so warm in her room! She rushed over to close it before her parents noticed she had left it open during their holiday. The last thing she wanted was for them to have _another_ reason to be angry with her. Even though they didn't say it out loud, she knew they already blamed her for ruining the vacation.

For the whole month, it seemed that everywhere she went, strange things would happen. The first was in a restaurant when the food had suddenly disappeared only to reappear in random places throughout the meal. When Anne had gotten into an argument with her sister, the tap and showerhead in the hotel bathroom exploded, spraying water everywhere. Towards the end of the vacation, nearly everything she touched vanished into thin air. When her mother's pearl necklace disappeared, it was the last straw.

Anne heard low voices from downstairs and knew her parents were discussing how to deal with this new 'power' Anne had developed. She kicked the edge of the bed, frustrated. She had no idea _how _she was making things disappear.

She flopped down on the bed, but sat up when she felt something scratching at her back. Looking down, she saw a large brown envelope addressed to 'Miss Lacerta Vrell'. She wondered how it had gotten into her room. She supposed it could have flown in through the window, but she didn't recall having any neighbors with the last name 'Vrell'. After looking it over, she finally decided to open it. She broke the old-fashioned red wax seal on the back.

A draft began to blow from her window, even though she was sure she had closed it. Checking it, she found it was indeed closed. A chime sounded, sort of like a bell in the distance. The wind picked up, and suddenly an old man with a long white beard appeared in the middle of her room. Anne's mouth dropped open.

"Hello Miss Vrell," he said cheerfully. "May I sit?" he asked, gesturing to the chair sitting behind her desk.

Anne nodded and rubbed her eyes to see if she were dreaming. She looked around her room frantically, thinking maybe he had come in through a door. The door to her room was closed, however, and she didn't remember hearing it open or close.

Confused, she looked back at the man sitting in her chair and noticed the strange clothing he was wearing. At first glance, his clothes looked like pajamas, but the color and the material told Anne otherwise. The man seemed to be studying her also, taking in her appearance thoughtfully.

When their eyes met, he smiled and introduced himself: "I'm Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he paused for a moment to let the information sink in, "Lacerta, you know that you were adopted, yes?"

She nodded slowly. She had always known she was adopted, first and foremost because she looked nothing like her parents or sister. Her parents always went overboard to prove they loved her as much as their biological daughter, but sometimes Anne had her doubts.

"Wh – Who is Lacerta?" she asked, partly dreading the answer.

"You are," he replied, his eyes twinkling, "and you are a witch."

Anne shook her head. This was all a dream. She must have passed out from the heat.

"Your birth parents were very important wizards. When they died, you were left with Muggles."

Anne stared at the ground, her head whirling. She looked back at Dumbledore to make sure he was still there.

When the scene didn't change, she finally asked dazedly, "Wizards?"

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Yes, Miss Vrell, we do exist. Haven't you noticed any strange things happening recently?"

She nodded, thinking about the elusive dinner and the bursting pipes. Still sensing some disbelief, Dumbledore continued to explain to her who she was and what was going to happen to her.

"Your father was the last of the wizard family Vrell, and your mother was an Italian witch. She was one of the few foreign witches involved in the conflict with Voldemort."

Lacerta shuddered at the name, even though she had no idea who it belonged to.

"Voldemort is an evil wizard with terrible ideas about blood supremacy, which I trust you will soon learn all about," he said, dissuading any questions she had wanted to ask. "You were born only a year before Voldemort's downfall, and I'm sorry but your parents were killed shortly after. You were found by a Muggle family and, in the chaos of the time, no one from the Wizarding world realized you had disappeared. Oddly, and I do apologize for this, it took a long time to locate you. Otherwise I would have told you all of this years ago."

Anne nodded slowly. Her brain was processing the words, but it was taking her some time to understand what they meant. Her mind got stuck at a single unfamiliar and she decided to ask what it meant.

"What are Muggles? I mean, why are you calling my adopted family Muggles?"

"Muggles are non-magical humans," Dumbledore replied, as if this were an everyday conversation.

"Do I have any-any non-_muggle_ family left?" Anne asked nervously. The thought of being alone in this new world scared her.

Dumbledore looked down at her sadly, "You have only your godparents, who were chosen by your parents as your guardians should anything happen to them. Now, do you have any questions about what I've just told you?"

Anne shook her head, but only because she couldn't find the words to express her questions.

"Wonderful. If you do, Professor McGonagall will be able to answer them later."

"Professor _who_?"

Dumbledore thought a moment before speaking. "I have decided it best that you come stay at Hogwarts until the beginning of term. You will have plenty of time to catch up in your classes and become acquainted with the Wizarding world."

Was she just to drop everything and move into this new world? What would happen to her current life? Her whole world was turning upside down with each passing minute.

"What about my family?" asked Anne.

It seemed Dumbledore expected her to leave without question, but she hadn't even considered how to explain the situation to them.

"You may go tell them right now, if you wish. We can leave as soon as you've packed"

Anne opened and closed her mouth a few times, before answering, "I think I'll write them a letter."

She had thought about going down to tell them in person, but she didn't want to scare them. They had been shocked and afraid of the things she had caused on their holiday, and she wasn't sure how they would react to knowing the explanation for her strange powers. She took a piece of paper from her desk and began writing.

_Dear Mum, Dad and Kelsey,_

_I've been contacted by someone who knew my birth parents. He's explained that there's nothing wrong with me and that I'm actually a witch! I know that sounds ridiculous, but doesn't it make sense because of all the things that happened while we were on holiday? _

_Anyway, there's a special school where I can learn about magic and I've been invited there. I know I have been causing a lot of trouble lately and I think it's best if I go. I'll learn to control myself and become what I was meant be, and your lives will be normal again._

_I'll come home for the Christmas holidays and tell you all about the school and what the Wizarding world is like. _

_I know this isn't much of an explanation, but I don't know much myself. I hope you forgive me for leaving so suddenly, but I think it's for the best. _

_Love always,_

_Anne_

She re-read the letter, and put it on her bed where it would be easy enough for her parents to see.

"Finished?" asked Dumbledore brightly.

"Yes," replied Anne, determined.

"Good. Now why don't you pack your things into this trunk here," he said, tapping the air near the ground.

A trunk appeared, and the lid popped open. Anne jumped back in surprise, but regained her confidence a moment later and began to look around her room for things to pack.

In truth, she wasn't sure what to take with because she didn't own anything that was of much sentimental value. She went to her closet and pulled out a few sets of clothes. After packing them, she took a family photo off her nightstand and placed it gingerly in the trunk also. She packed a box full of jewelry and a snow globe her friend Katherine had given her for her fifteenth birthday. When she was finished, the trunk still looked empty. She frowned.

"It's charmed to fit almost any amount of things. You probably wont be able to fill it up," said Dumbledore.

"Oh," Anne exclaimed.

It was going to take quite a while for her to get used to this new way of life.

"Now, are you ready to go?" asked Dumbledore.

"I suppose so." Anne sighed, taking one last look around her room. She was torn between excitement, nervousness, and a sense of loss.

Dumbledore tapped the brown envelope with his wand and said, "This is now a portkey. It will transport you to Hogwarts. I'll meet you there." He vanished in a gust of wind along with her trunk.

Anne looked at the envelope skeptically and picked it up. Instantly, she felt a tugging sensation behind her navel.

She was aware of her world spinning about and then landing hard on the ground. When she opened her eyes, she was lying on the floor in a room that looked much like a cluttered office. She scrambled to stand up, completely disoriented.

_Where am I? How did I get here?_

A closer look revealed many _strange _things around the room, including a large orange bird. She got up to look around and saw Dumbledore sitting at a desk. He smiled and gestured for her to sit in one of the comfortable looking chairs near the wall. Feeling dizzy, she gratefully obliged.

An older woman walked into the room and waited to be addressed.

Dumbledore saw her and announced, "Ah! Hello, Minerva! My dear, this is Professor McGonagall. She will take you to a temporary room that you will use until the start of the school year. Then you will be sorted into your house and will move into the dorms with your other housemates. She will also explain to you all about Hogwarts, your classes, show you around the school, and will answer your questions. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Vrell."

She realized this was her cue to leave. The woman nodded at her and gestured for Anne to follow her out of the room. Professor McGonagall walked briskly and Anne scrambled to keep up with her as they walked down some staircases and to the room she was to stay in.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor house and transfiguration professor. At Hogwarts, there are four houses into which you will be sorted at the start-of-term banquet. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor…"

Professor McGonagall continued to explain about the houses, and all about the classes she was going to have and how she would catch up in the next few weeks so that she would be prepared for the school year.

Anne staggered around the halls behind the Professor, stopping occasionally to stare at the moving portraits that hung on the walls. With all the questions clouding her head, one of the few things she managed to decide on was that if she were going to use her new name, it would not be Lacerta, but Lacey.

_There. That sounds more like me_.

As they walked along the corridors of the school, Lacey couldn't help but marvel at its size. It was truly an amazing place, with shifting staircases and moving paintings. She walked by the Great Hall, where meals were served, she was shown to the different classrooms, and told where she was not allowed to go.

Once they reached her room, McGonagall handed Lacey the letter that had transported her here.

"Now, I'm sure Dumbledore told you that this letter is a portkey. When you open it, it will transport you to your Muggle home, and back to the place of your choice in the Wizarding world. It has a limited number of times for usage and wont work during school term," McGonagall said sternly. "Goodnight, Miss Vrell"

And with those words, she turned and left Lacey alone to contemplate everything she had learned in the past hour. She put the letter on a shelf above the fireplace in the room, sat down on the couch, and became immersed in her own thoughts.

_None of this should be real, and yet it feels right. Who are my godparents and why didn't they come to get me? And how did I end up with Muggles in the first place? I wonder what Kelsey is doing right now… _

Lacey realized there wasn't much she was going to miss about her Muggle life other than her family and Katherine. She had always been seen as slightly queer and had never had many friends in school. Her life had been getting steadily more routine and boring and she saw Hogwarts as a chance to make it more exciting.

After a few days, Lacey became adjusted to her new surroundings. She woke up early in the morning and ate breakfast in the Great Hall, along with the handful of teachers that had arrived early to start preparing for the school year. McGonagall had explained that each of the four tables in the room belonged to a house. Lacey, who still didn't know which house she was in, sat at each of them in turn. She felt as though each table had a different aura around it, although she couldn't quite place which one she liked best.

She started off classes with only Professor McGonagall, who taught her the basics of magic.

"The basic spell used to summon something is _Accio,_" said McGonagall from behind her desk in the Transfiguration classroom.

Lacey raised her borrowed wand and said, "_Accio _parchment"

The parchment flew into her hand and she smiled in satisfaction.

"Wonderful progress you're making, Miss Vrell" said McGonagall briskly, "Now the basic levitation spell. Repeat after me: _wingardium leviosa_"

Lacey pointed her wand at the parchment and said slowly, "_Wingardium leviosa_"

The parchment lifted into the air and Lacey waved it around, enjoying herself. She then took a minute to look at the wand. It had ben given to her by Professor McGonagall for temporary use until she got her own. The wand was a light brown color, very plain with no markings, and about 8 inches long. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.

"Shall we continue then?"

Lacey stopped examining the wand, and the parchment immediately dropped to the ground.

"Yes, Professor," she replied, looking down at the desk as McGonagall began to teach her a new incantation.

Once she had mastered basic spells and skills for each of her subjects, she began having sessions with individual teachers to make sure she would be caught up with the rest of her year. In potions, a quiet, stern man called Professor Snape had her follow multiple recipes to the letter and would make her start over if she got even a single ingredient wrong. She also wrote a few essays for him on the different properties of magical herbs and potion ingredients, which she researched in the extensive Hogwarts library.

Professor Binns gave her long lectures on magical history, which Lacey found particularly interesting in contrast with the Muggle history she had learned in school.

Back with Professor McGonagall they went through simple transfiguration of inanimate and animate objects, as well as switching spells.

She quickly became friends with Hagrid, the groundskeeper and Care of Magical Creatures professor. He explained to her all about the Voldemort, better known as 'You-know-who', and how a boy in her year, Harry Potter, had battled him many times. He also told her about other students that were going to be in her year, the good and the bad (in his opinion). Lacey just listened to everything he said, trying to learn as much as she could about her new classmates and the Wizarding world.

She spent many evenings in the library, reading about Wizarding London and looking for any information about her family. All she found about them, however, was that her name was one of the oldest family names in England, dating back to the time of Merlin and the Four Founders of Hogwarts. She was particularly interested to learn about her parents, and asked a few of the professors about them. They didn't seem to know anything, or at least, claimed they didn't.

"Professor," she asked McGonagall one day after they had finished up their transfiguration work, "Why doesn't anyone know anything about my parents?"

"Your parents?" McGonagall echoed, "Well, your mother was Italian and your father was English."

"Yes, I know that, but that's _all _I know," replied Lacey, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration. "Did you know them?"

Professor McGonagall sighed.

"Yes, I taught both of them when they were in school here"

"What were they like? Which house were they in?" she asked, her excitement growing.

"They were both in Slytherin house, and they were both excellent students," replied McGonagall vaguely.

"Does that mean I'm going to be in Slytherin?" asked Lacey nervously. The thought of being in a house because of her heritage troubled her.

"No, of course not, although it is taken into account during the sorting."

"Wha – "

"Enough questions. Miss Vrell, you're going to be late for your next class if you don't leave at once," she scolded, ushering Lacey out of her classroom.

Lacey sighed, left the classroom, and trudged down to the dungeons, disappointed she hadn't learned any more about her parents.

Professor McGonagall watched her go, shaking her head sadly.

It wasn't often that Lucius wanted to see his son, and when he did it was rarely for good reasons. So when the house elf informed Draco of his father's wishes, Draco felt a pit form in his stomach. He walked down to his father's study and paused in front of the door.

He was about to knock when he heard Lucius say, "It seems as if they've found Lacerta. Strange, after all these years. I heard that her magic sent out a signal the day the Dark Lord came back. Very peculiar... I wonder…"

"Lucius, don't worry about that now, thank heavens she's been found! Where is she?" exclaimed Narcissa. Lucius frowned at his wife for the interruption.

"She's been sent to Hogwarts for what Dumbledore called "an introduction to the Wizarding World". I'm astounded that I was not notified. She should have been sent here, of course."

Draco heard his mother, chuckle and ask, "Why in the world would they ask you, dear? You know Dumbledore would like to avoid you at all costs! Besides, it would have been overwhelming for her, not knowing about wizards until now."

Lucius growled and answered: "Being her godfather and therefore one of her only _two_ living relatives, I think I have the right to help with any decision making when it comes to her! She should have been sent here and told about her parents at the very least. Who knows what kind of information Dumbledore will give her!"

"Of course, Lucius, I hadn't thought of that. What are we going to do?" asked Narcissa quietly, barely loud enough for Draco to hear.

"Well, I have already sent for Draco, as he will be in her year at Hogwarts. Also, I'd like you to go see her, tell her of her duties as the heir of an old family. Invite her to spend the Christmas Holidays here, with us. She will adjust soon enough," replied Lucius.

Draco had heard enough. He knocked.

"Ah, here he is. Come in, Draco," Lucius called through the door.

Draco opened the door and walked in, his face expressionless, trying to hide the fact that he'd been listening.

"I trust you heard enough to know what you are here for," Lucius said demandingly.

"Y-Yes father," Draco replied.

Seeing the look in his sons face, Lucius frowned. Although he liked that his son feared him, he did not appreciate when the boy acted like a little girl.

"Sit down, Draco. Leave us, Narcissa, I have things to discuss with my son," Lucius ordered.

Narcissa nodded, and left the room.

Draco sat in one of the chairs in front of his father's desk. He waited for his father to say something. After a few minutes that felt like an eternity, his father began to explain why he had called for Draco.

"Now, as you've heard, Lacerta Vrell has been found and sent to Hogwarts to catch up on her schooling. She is in your year, and I expect you to befriend her, _before _any of those filthy mudbloods or _blood traitors_ do. Is that clear?" Lucius waited for Draco to nod his head before continuing, "You are not to mention her parents, _or_ her godmother, your aunt Bellatrix, under any circumstances. Do you understand? Introduce her to your friends and get her accustomed to her role as a proper witch. I'm sure she will be sorted into Slytherin, since both her parents were. Most importantly, help her forget those Muggles she lived with. They wont be around much longer," he finished.

Draco nodded again and began to wring his hands. He didn't like when his father acted cryptic and mysterious, especially since this behavior had become more common since the Dark Lord returned.

"You may go now," Lucius said, waving his hand in the air to dismiss him.

Draco got up and left. He stopped just outside the door and took a deep breath. He always felt short of it anytime he met with his father privately. Walking up the stairs, Draco began to process the task his father had given him. With his good looks and charm, he was sure he'd have this girl hanging on his every word soon enough.


	2. Diagon Alley

**A/N**: **Sorry it took so long to upload, it took a while to get through the edits with my beta! This chapter is longer though and hopefully I'll have the next one up soon (within the next couple weeks). Don't forget to review please!**

After a particularly hard day of lessons, Lacey dug into her dinner while sitting at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall. As she was getting up to leave Professor McGonagall waved her over to the head table.

"Tomorrow I will accompany you to Diagon Alley, where you will buy all the things you need for school," she said.

"Diagon Alley?" asked Lacey.

"The shopping part of Wizarding London."

"Oh. Will there be – " Lacey gulped, "other wizards there?"

"Of course, school term starts the day after tomorrow."

Lacey took a deep breath and said goodnight to Professor McGonagall. All the way back to her room, her mind was preoccupied by imaginings of how Wizarding London looks. It'd taken her a few weeks to adapt to life at the school, what if she wasn't prepared to be out among other wizards?

Lacey got up early the next morning and dressed for her day out. She wore a flowery skirt and a white blouse; something she thought wouldn't stand out too much. She inspected herself in the full-length mirror in her bathroom. She was content with her tan over the summer, even though it was not much darker than her usual olive skin color. Her dark brown hair shone in the light and she had made up her eyes slightly to accent their brown color. Once she was satisfied with her appearance and deemed it acceptable for meeting other wizards, she walked to Professor McGonagall's classroom.

"How are we getting there?" asked Lacey.

"We are going to use the Floo. Headmaster Dumbledore has given us specific permission," McGonagall explained.

"Floo?" wondered Lacey.

"Follow me, Miss Vrell," ordered McGonagall as she started walking down the hallway.

Lacey followed the professor up a few staircases and down a hallway. She wondered how she was going to pay for all her shopping that day, sure that her meager pocket money wouldn't suffice.

"Headmaster Dumbledore had some money taken out of your parents vault in Gringotts. You will receive it shortly."

"Gringotts?" Sometimes Lacey felt like McGonagall enjoyed springing new words at her.

"The main Wizarding Bank in London. It's run by Goblins."

Lacey shook her head and sighed. It seemed she would spend her entire life in the Wizarding world constantly asking questions.

McGonagall stopped in front of a painting of a sleeping lion and tapped it lightly with her finger. The lion in the painting yawned and stretched before opening its eyes.

"Hello Minerva, how are you today?" the lion asked.

The professor, nodding her head in greeting, replied, "I'm well, thank you. May we pass?"

The lion made sort of a pouty face and muttered something like, "Never has time to talk!"

The painting swung open revealing a pathway into the wall. Lacey followed the professor through the passage, and into a comfortably furnished room, much larger than the one she was staying in.

"Where are we?" asked Lacey.

"These are my apartments. Now," said the Professor, picking up a silky pouch off the coffee table and handing it to Lacey. "Here is your money. The gold ones are Galleons, the silver ones are Sickles, and the bronze are Knuts"

Lacey looked into the pouch and found it full of the different colored coins. She could already tell the Wizarding monetary system would be a challenge to sort out.

"So what is a Floo?" asked Lacey again.

"The Floo Network is a mode of magical transportation. Here, take some powder," replied McGonagall, holding out a small pot full of soot.

Lacey looked up at the woman questioningly but obeyed, taking a pinch of powder between her fingers. McGonagall made a sound of impatience and scooped up a fistful of the powder.

"Like this," she emphasized, "Good, now, step in there and announce clearly where you are going, which in this case will be Diagon Alley, and then throw the powder down at your feet."

Lacey looked from the fireplace back to McGonagall. Climb _into _it? Any further doubts to Professor McGonagall's meaning were dispersed by her pursed lips and unamused grunt.

Shaking her head at the seemingly never ending oddities of her new life, Lacey stepped over the hearth, careful not to smudge her outfit in the soot.

She shook her head once more before announcing, "Diagon Alley!"

She dropped the powder and heard a slight 'poof'. When her vision cleared she saw herself whizzing past other fireplaces that quickly disappeared in puffs of green smoke. She landed on solid ground and stumbled out of a fireplace. Feeling rather ill, she looked around and noticed she was in a small dark room. A few seconds later, Professor McGonagall, calm and composed, stepped out of the fireplace also.

"This way," she said, walking through a door that Lacey hadn't seen before.

Lacey followed the Professor outside and found herself on a long street full of people who were clearly wizards. It was full of school-aged children with their parents, carrying bags and packages, rushing about, which Lacey attributed to the start of school term the next day.

She glanced around and saw Professor McGonagall appear next to her in simple black robes that differed from the ones she had worn at Hogwarts.

"Here is a list of what you will need to buy."

Lacey took a small piece of parchment from her hands and looked at the items on it.

_Wand_

_One Set of Dress Robes_

_Owl OR cat OR toad (optional)_

_Standard Book of Spells (Grade 5)_

_Defensive Magical Theory_

_School Robes_

_One Winter Cloak_

_One Pair Protective Gloves (Dragon Hide)_

_Cauldron and Set of Basic _Ingredients_ for Potions_

Professor McGonagall straightened her cloak and said stiffly, "Your godfather's wife has made an appointment for you at a dress robe shop. You mustn't be late, so all the shopping has to be done quickly."

She began to walk off down the street, leaving Lacey standing stunned.

_Someone wants to see me?_ she thought, _Why only now, after all this time?_

She looked up to see Professor McGonagall standing a few feet away, hands folded, an impatient scowl on her face.

"We really must be going, there is no time to dilly-dally," she said, and turned to keep walking.

Lacey shook her head and caught up to the professor.

"Professor," she squeaked "I don't understand – I have Wizarding family – who want to see me?"

"Yes," replied McGonagall promptly, stopping in the street once more.

"And they want to see me?" asked Lacey again, slowly.

"It would appear so, Miss Vrell," sighed the Professor, clearly tired of the constant questioning.

"But – but – why am I only seeing them now?" asked Lacey again, her mouth hanging open.

"My dear, we simply do _not _have time to discuss this," said McGonagall sternly.

Lacey clamped her mouth shut and began to walk behind McGonagall.

First they walked over to _Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions__,_ where Lacey was fitted for her Hogwarts uniform.

Madam Malkin was a tall, thin woman who looked like she should have been in the nineteenth century. She wore a long azure dress with a full skirt, white gloves that reached her elbows and a white feathered hat.

"Hold still please," said Madam Malkin, taking Lacey's measurements.

Lacey straightened her back and inhaled, trying as much as possible not to move. It was rather hard, because the feather on the shopkeeper's hat kept tickling her nose.

"Hips – 33 inches, chest – 34 inches, inseam – 30 inches," said the woman brandishing the tape measure. "Thank you. Remember those measurements! Now let me just go and get your robes and you will be all set for school! I'll be right back," she said cheerfully, and walked out of the dressing room.

Lacey wandered into the main part of the shop where various other people were milling about or standing in the queue at the cash counter. She looked around and was surprised to see Muggle attire that looked like it was from the renaissance. She noticed an intricate emerald green gown being displayed on a mannequin in a glass case at the far end of the room and went to take a closer look. She saw that the leaf designs that were s cut into the velvet material of the skirt and were constantly moving and growing as if alive.

"That dress was made by Delphina Crimp."

Lacey jumped and turned to see a pale girl with waist-length dark blonde hair standing next to her.

"… The most famous Wizard dressmaker in the in 15th century and the inventor of the severing charm," said the girl dreamily.

"It's beautiful. How does it do that?" Lacey asked the girl, pointing to the design on the skirt.

"It's a special charm. No one's been able to figure it out," sighed the girl.

"Luna, we've got to go! I completely forgot about the expert on Quickle Sprouts that is arriving in – oh my, five minutes!" a middle-aged man who could have been none other than the girl's father said from behind the display case.

"Coming father!" called the girl, picking up her shopping bag.

"I'm Lacey, by the way."

"I'm Luna Lovegood" replied Luna, "I'd love to chat but we have urgent business to attend to!" gesturing to her father who was already walking out of the shop.

"It was nice meeting you!" called Lacey in the direction of the door.

Luna didn't turn around and simply skipped out of the exit. Lacey shrugged her shoulders and returned to the dressing room where Madam Malkin and her school robes were already waiting for her.

"Here you go dearie! Try them on and see how they fit," she said, ushering Lacey into the dressing room.

Lacey quickly threw on her uniform and examined herself in the mirror. The skirt, she decided, was a tad on the long side but she knew she could fix it up later. She then tried on her wizard robes over the uniform and looked at herself again. She resisted the urge to laugh when she saw how strange she looked. The black robes were the first piece of clothing that had really made her feel like a witch. She twirled once to feel the material fly up all around her and let out a giggle of excitement. She folded up the robes nicely and carried them over to Madam Malkin at the counter.

"They fit alright, do they?" she asked.

"Oh yes, thank you. How much do I owe you?" replied Lacey.

"Four galleons, six if you take two sets."

"I'll take two sets please."

Madam Malkin disappeared behind a curtain and reappeared a few second later carrying a package wrapped in brown paper.

"That'll be six galleons my dear," she said.

'_The gold ones are galleons_' rang Professor McGonagall's voice in Lacey's head. She reached into her coin pouch and pulled out six gold coins. She placed them on the counter and thanked Madam Malkin for the help before leaving the shop.

Next Lacey stopped at _Eeylops Owl Emporium_ at the suggestion of Professor McGonagall. Owls in cages all over the room screeched and the room stunk of animals – so Lacey quickly bought herself a Barn Owl, trying to get out as quickly as possible. She named the bird Echo, a character from a story she had read as a child.

Professor McGonagall appeared with a cart and Lacey placed her owl cage on top of it along with the package with her robes. She pushed the cart further down the street, following Professor McGonagall into various other shops. She bought quills, a cauldron, and all kinds of potion ingredients that made Lacey wrinkle her nose at the thought of them, like Troll bile and newt spleen .

Pushing the cart became extremely hard after _Flourish and Blotts, _where she had bought more than her own weight in textbooks.

A broom caught her eye when they walked past the window of _Broomstix_. She had only ridden a few times after Madam Hooch had taught her, but felt she had improved dramatically.

"Would it be alright if I went to take a look?" Lacey asked Professor McGonagall, who was standing behind her.

"I suppose we have a few minutes to spare…" sighed McGonagall.

Lacey looked at the broomstick for a minute before leaving her cart next to the professor and determinedly marching into the shop. Dozens of broomsticks hung from the walls and ceiling and all kinds of wizards young and old were walking around excitedly, many of them admiring a display in the center of the room. Lacey's eyes fell upon a sleek wood broom lying on a shelf in the corner. She pushed past the crowd of people to get a closer look at it. It looked much more sophisticated than the brooms she had ridden at Hogwarts. Lacey had really liked flying and decided a broomstick of her own would come in handy. She looked at the label: _Nimbus 2000_. She waved over one of the shopkeepers and asked him about the broom.

"How much does it cost?" asked Lacey, glancing at a nearby display for another broom, a Nimbus 2001, whose price seemed outrageous.

When she heard the price, she felt relived. Seeing as her Wizard parents had left her with what appeared to be a rather large amount of money, she decided she could afford to own a rather nice broom. She remembered Madam Hooch mentioning something about a sport that was played on brooms and decided to find out more about it now that she had her own broomstick. If it were anything like soccer, it might be one of the only things in this new life that she'd catch on to quick.

Although she was exhausted, Lacey felt her nervousness returning as they approached Ollivander's Wand Shop. She'd been told about how the wands themselves choose the young witches and wizards in their first year and she felt as if she were about to be tested. What if she weren't magical enough to be chosen?

"Mr. Ollivander is one of the best wand makers of our time. He makes each and every wand by hand. His wands know exactly which wizard they are meant for," McGonagall told Lacey when they stopped in front of a small door with a sign that read _Ollivander's Wands_. Lacey gulped.

They walked into a dark, cluttered room and stood there for a minute until they heard footsteps. Soon, a hunched, elderly man shuffled into view.

"Hello, Minerva. How can I help you?" he asked.

"Good afternoon Garrick. Miss Vrell needs to be fitted with a wand," McGonagall replied.

Mr. Ollivander motioned for Lacey to come closer.

"Hmm, Miss Vrell is it? After all those years and you never came, I wasn't sure I'd _ever_ see _you _looking for a wand… Now if I remember correctly, your father's wand… 11 inches, blackthorn, Dragon Heartstring core. Your mother's… 9 inches, rosewood, Unicorn tail hair."

Lacey gasped, astounded that this man had met her parents when they were only 11 years old.

"What did they look like?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Mhmm... Both were very beautiful... yes... well crafted," replied Mr. Ollivander, turning around to look at the boxes of wands stacked all around the room. Lacey's shoulders slumped in disappointed when she realized the old man was referring to wands and not her parents.

He thought for a minute, then pulled a box out of the wall.

"Cedar, 9 inches, Dragon Heartstring core," he said proudly as he handed Lacey the wand.

She waved it around, and a glass on the table exploded, causing Lacey to jump.

"No, not that one," Mr. Ollivander muttered, snatching the wand out of her hand.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry about that!" Lacey gasped. The older man just waved his hand in response while Professor McGonagall pulled her own wand out and cast a _reparo_ on the glass.

He pulled another box out of the wall, and began to list its characteristics, "Beech, 13 inches, Unicorn tail hair."

Lacey cautiously took this one and gave it a wave. The whole room began to glow red, and Lacey practically threw the wand back at Mr. Ollivander. For the next half hour, Lacey tested wand after wand. Ollivander's concentrated frown kept deepening as her nerves kept increasing. The more nervous she felt, the worse her tested wands reacted. She'd lost track of how many sounds of breaking glass she'd heard around the room.

A line of first years was beginning to form outside the shop, watching the destruction going on inside with amused expressions. Embarrassed, Lacey was beginning to think she would never find a good fit and was ready to give up. Maybe she just wasn't meant to be a witch after all.

Mr. Ollivander put the last wand away and then stood staring at the wall, deep in thought. Suddenly, he jumped and said, "There is one more that could work…"

He ran to the back of the room and returned a moment later with another box.

"Now, this wand here…" he said as he gingerly pulled a thin, white wand from the box, "11 inches, elm, Dragon Heartstring core."

He handed Lacey the wand, and as soon as she took it, she felt as if all the tension that had been building up inside of her while she had been in the shop disappeared. She took a deep breath, preparing to attempt to cast another spell.

"Lumos," she said.

The tip of the wand lit up, and Lacey did a little victory dance on the spot.

"Nox."

Mr. Ollivander's worried frown turned into a smile as Lacey examined the wand. It was light and had intricate designs carved into it all the way up to the tip. She ran her fingers over the carvings, trying to get a feel for it. She looked back at Professor McGonagall who nodded in approval.

The professor looked at a clock on the wall and exclaimed, "Oh dear, we must leave now or you'll be late for your appointment! Go ahead and pay for the wand, Miss Vrell."

Lacey reached into her money pouch and handed the amount to Mr. Ollivander.

As she was walking out the door, Mr. Ollivander called out, "Oh I forgot to tell you – oh my, it seems I really have forgotten! Something about the wand…"

Lacey watched as Mr. Ollivander walked back into the depths of his shop, muttering something about her wand.

Slightly befuddled by those last words, she quickly followed Professor McGonagall down the street. They walked in silence for a few minutes, until the professor stopped in front of another shop, '_Twilfitt and Tattings_'. The large, impressive door and the emptiness of the inside made Lacey guess that it was a rather expensive shop.

Lacey walked up the steps, then realizing that Professor McGonagall was still standing there, turned and stopped.

"Well, go on," said the Professor, nodding towards the doorway.

"Aren't you coming?" asked Lacey.

"No, no, it would not be appropriate."

"Appropriate? What ever do you mean?"

"Now, now, I've rented you a room at the Leaky Cauldron for the night," said the Professor, "You can return to Hogwarts tomorrow on the Hogwarts Express with all the other students."

"I'm being left alone? But how will I get to the Hogwarts Express tomorrow?" asked Lacey worriedly.

"That is up to you. Go ahead and use Muggle transportation if you like."

"A-Alright" replied Lacey, more confident about being left alone now that she knew she would be able to get to the train platform on her own.

"Platform Nine and three quarters, right?" she clarified. McGonagall nodded.

"Now, is there anything else before I leave you?"

Lacey shook her head slowly before saying goodbye to Professor McGonagall. She stepped into the shop, and immediately her mouth dropped open when she saw the racks of beautiful dresses.

A young woman rushed over to her and asked, "Miss Vrell, I assume? Mrs. Malfoy is waiting for you in the private room."

The clerk led her to the back of the store into a comfortably furnished room that had a dressing room in the corner. As she followed the woman, questions popped into her head. She didn't know much about the Malfoy family except that they were extremely wealthy. Hagrid had described Mr. Malfoy as a horrid man, the same applying to his son, Draco. She pondered the thought for a second but decided that if her parents had chosen Mr. Malfoy as her godfather he couldn't be all that bad.

Lacey heard a sweet high voice call out to her "Lacerta, darling! My, you resemble your mother so much…"

Lacey turned and found herself facing a beautiful middle aged woman with platinum blonde hair, very fair skin, and hypnotizingly blue eyes.

"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy" Lacey said politely, and smiled nervously.

"Nonsense, call me Narcissa. We're family!" Narcissa replied quickly and pulled Lacey into a light embrace.

She sat down, and motioned for Lacey to do the same. She cleared her throat and immediately two women came in, one with a tray carrying tea, the other with a clipboard and measuring tapes. The first placed the tray on the table, and turned to look at Narcissa as if awaiting instructions.

As the second woman began to take Lacey's measurements, Narcissa began to explain to the first, "We will need six sets of dress robes and shoes to match. Two for winter, two for summer, and one for spring and fall each."

Lacey interrupted, "My list only says I need one set of dress robes."

"That's the one you need for Hogwarts, dear, the others are for social gatherings and such when you are not in school. After all, you are the Vrell heir!" replied Narcissa, smiling down at Lacey sweetly.

"Heir?" asked Lacey.

"Don't act so surprised. Has Dumbledore not told you?"

When Lacey shook her head, Narcissa sighed, smiled and explained they would discuss it later.

She then turned and continued instructing the clerk, "For summer, I suggest white or cream, it will contrast well with her olive complexion and dark hair. She will, of course, look stunning in black. For the others, find us something more colorful: red to accent her lips, green to compliment her brown eyes, blue, royal purple, anything! Also, keep the styles befitting of a young girl with her social stature," Narcissa paused, while the clerk attempted to scribble down every last word she was saying. "And make sure they flatter her figure!" Narcissa called out as both clerks rushed out of the room to fetch dress options.

Lacey sat down next to Narcissa and waited for the clerks to come back. Narcissa took one of Lacey's hands in her own, and pushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"Lucius and I are so glad we've finally found you. I'm so sorry you had to endure so long with that Muggle family. It was most definitely not what your parents would have wanted for you. But don't worry, you won't have to go back to them ever again," Narcissa said softly, and gave Lacey's hand a quick squeeze.

Lacey smiled and nodded her head. She couldn't figure out why Hagrid had spoken so poorly of the Malfoys earlier. Mrs. Malfoy seemed like a lovely woman and despite her last comment about Muggles, it looked like she really cared about Lacey.

Just then, one of the clerks rolled a rack of dresses into the room and the other came in carrying boxes of shoes. Narcissa inspected a few dresses before handing one to Lacey.

"This should do nicely, now lets see how it looks."

Lacey looked at it. It was floor length and strapless, with a full skirt that began at the waist, and a deep red color. She took it to the dressing room in the corner, and slipped it on. When she stepped out, Narcissa did a double take.

"My, don't you look lovely! Just like your mother," she choked out, "We'll be taking this one, now go ahead and try these on – " she continued while handing Lacey a few more dresses, " – and come out and show me each one while I choose appropriate shoes."

"My mother – what did she look like?"

"A lot like you I suppose – here" replied Narcissa wistfully, handing Lacey another dress, "except her hair was much darker."

Lacey tried to envision herself with darker hair whilst trying on the dress. It was knee length, black, and hugged her small waist, flattering her curves.

Unable to conceive a picture in her mind, she asked, "Narcissa, do you have any pictures of my mother?"

"Of course, but they are back at Malfoy Manor."

"Oh! Can I see them sometime?" asked Lacey, beaming with excitement.

"Of course, of course, now here, try these," replied Narcissa absentmindedly, handing Lacey a pair of shoes.

Lacey tried on at least ten more dresses before Narcissa had approved of six. With the shoes picked out, the clerk brought her the bill. Lacey's eyes widened as soon as she saw the price.

"I – I don't have this much, I didn't take enough with me," she stammered and looked at her feet, very embarrassed.

Narcissa laughed casually and answered, "Don't worry, these are on me. A welcome home gift, if you will."

Lacey looked up at Narcissa and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you" she said quietly, "Thank you very much"

"Of course, darling" Narcissa said as they got up to leave, "Now, I've made reservations for us at this wonderful little restaurant for a late lunch. We'd best be going so we aren't late. I'll have two sets of the dress robes sent to you at Hogwarts and four will be at Malfoy Manor, waiting for you. By the way, I hope you don't mind if my son Draco joins us. He will be simply delighted to meet a beautiful young lady like you. He's in your year at Hogwarts so I'm sure you'll get along splendidly. He's played on the Slytherin quidditch team since second year, and was made prefect this year," added Narcissa proudly.

They walked past a few more high-end shops before Narcissa stopped in front of a small door.

"Here we are," she said when she pushed the door open.

As they walked into the room, Lacey couldn't help but look around in disbelief. Not only was the ceiling charmed like the one in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but the room was ten times larger than it had looked from the street. Lacey decided it was another type of charm. Almost as soon as they entered, a young waiter ran up to them.

"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy! Would you like your usual table?" he asked enthusiastically.

"No thank you, James, I am with a guest today and we would like something a tad more… private," she answered, "Away from prying eyes, you know…" She whispered the last part to Lacey.

It seemed that everyone wanted to keep Lacey's reappearance a secret.

_Why isn't anyone supposed to know about me? After all, I've been walking around all day, loads of people will have seen me… Narcissa seems just as adamant about it as Dumbledore, too. I wonder why?_

The waiter led them past the tables to the back of the room, where they turned a sharp corner and followed him through a set of red velvet curtains. The room they entered was small, but quite comfortable. Lacey sat down on one of the plush couches that lined the wall, and realized that the walls and ceiling were charmed here also, but this time they showed images of the countryside, giving off the feeling as if they were really out in the open. She smiled inwardly, glad she had figured it out on her own.

James interrupted her thoughts by saying, "The room's got a silencing charm, so you will have complete privacy here."

"Thank you, James" replied Narcissa, "Draco will be joining us shortly. Please show him in when he arrives."

The waiter smiled, nodded and left.

"How do you like it?" Narcissa asked.

Lacey looked at her quizzically.

"Oh! You mean the café?" she exclaimed.

Narcissa smiled and nodded her head.

"It's simply wonderful! I've never seen anything like it… The walls and ceiling are charmed to reflect moods, yes?" Lacey asked confidently.

Narcissa nodded again, happy that Lacey seemed to be adjusting well to her new surroundings.

Draco rounded a corner as he walked briskly to the café his mother had asked him to go to for lunch. He had been surprised when she had told him to join her; they hadn't eaten out since the beginning of summer. Since _he_ had come back. Draco supposed his coming back was all for the best, but had quickly tired of his parents' constant hushed conversations and his father's mysterious disappearances. He felt as if his parents were treating him like a child by not telling him anything, which he most certainly was not… Draco banished all those thoughts from his head as he walked into the café. He wanted to enjoy one last luncheon with his mother

Charles, their usual waiter came up to him and said cheerfully, "Mr. Malfoy! What a pleasure seeing you again!"

Draco frowned in disgust. _Suck up._

"Your mother is waiting for you. Please follow me," the waiter finished.

Draco once again tried to push all the negative thoughts from his head as he followed the waiter to the back of the room.

"Charles, why are we not going to our usual table?" asked Draco.

"Your mother requested a private room" Charles replied simply.

_Well, mother must have a good reason_, he thought.

Charles held the red curtain open and Draco stepped in.

"Hello, mother" he sighed, coming over to politely peck her on the cheek.

After a few seconds, his mother cleared her throat. He turned around, and only then realized there was someone else sitting at the table. Sitting next to his mother was a girl who looked about his age.

_Merlin… Who's this?_ he thought.

She had soft brown hair that shined in the light and tan skin, looking slightly foreign.

The sound of his mother's voice broke his train of thought, "Draco dear, I'd like you meet Lacerta Vrell, the daughter of your father's schoolmate, James Vrell."


End file.
